A. Application: Persons seeking to register a place of business shall file a written application with the director of community and economic development on a form provided by the city, which application shall include the following information:
1. If the applicant is an individual, the application shall include the name, residence address, and telephone number of the applicant. If the applicant is a partnership or firm, the application shall contain the names, residence addresses, and telephone numbers of each of its members; if a limited partnership, the names, residence addresses, and telephone numbers of each general partner thereof; if a corporation, the names, residence addresses, and telephone numbers of its principal officers; and if a limited liability company, the names, residence addresses, and telephone numbers of each member and/or manager. The person submitting the application shall also be required to provide his or her name, residence address, telephone number, and driver's license or state or federal government issued identification card number.
2. The name of the business as registered with the secretary of state of Illinois as well as any assumed names under which the applicant conducts business.
3. The address and telephone number of the place of business.
4. The business's Illinois business tax (IBT) certificate number and the business's federal employee identification number (FEIN), if applicable.
5. A description of the business (nature of goods or services sold, produced, or offered, etc.).
6. The floor area of the place of business in square feet and the corresponding registration fee.
7. The name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address for a designated emergency contact person and the owner of the place of business being registered.
8. Any additional information that the director of community and economic development determines is necessary for the evaluation of the application.
All applications must be signed by a person who is authorized to make representations on behalf of and bind the business.
B. Term: Business registration certificates will be issued annually for a period commencing on January 1 and expiring on December 31. All applications for business registration and renewals thereof must be filed with the department of community and economic development no later than December 15 of each year.
C. Approval Of Business Registration: After receiving an application for a business registration, the director of community and economic development shall review the application to determine if it is complete and accurate and shall verify with the zoning administrator that the applicant's proposed use of the place of business complies with the requirements of the zoning ordinance. If the director of community and economic development determines that the application is complete and that the proposed use complies with the zoning ordinance, the director shall recommend that the city manager issue a business registration certificate for the place of business subject to inspection for compliance with all zoning, building, fire, health codes and any other applicable ordinances and regulations. The city manager shall sign and issue a business registration certificate for the place of business no later than seven (7) days after receiving a recommendation from the director of community and economic development. The director of community and economic development shall promptly inform the applicant of the issuance of the business registration certificate. The business registration certificate shall include the name of the business, the address of the place of business, the date of expiration and bear the signatures of the city manager and the city clerk. A copy of each business registration certificate issued by the city will be maintained by the director of community and economic development.
D. Denial Of Business Registration: In the event the director of community and economic development determines that the applicant or the application does not meet the standards and requirements for the approval of a business registration as described in this section, the director shall recommend that the city manager not issue a business registration certificate for the place of business. Upon receiving such a recommendation, the city manager will issue a written notice of denial to the applicant no later than seven (7) days after receiving a recommendation from the director of community and economic development. The notice of denial will state the grounds for denial. Grounds for denial of a business registration may include the following:
1. Fraud, misrepresentation of a material fact, or false statement by the applicant on the application;
2. The existence of any outstanding indebtedness of the business to the city, in the form of any unpaid fees, taxes, or fines that are in arrears more than thirty (30) days from the date accrued;
3. A determination by the zoning administrator that the business or use proposed is not a permitted or approved conditional use of the place of business pursuant to the zoning ordinance; and
4. The presence of a violation of any zoning, building, fire, or health code or any other applicable ordinances and regulations at the place of business.
An applicant may submit a revised application after correcting any of the deficiencies or issues identified in the notice of denial and, if the original registration fee has been refunded, paying a registration fee in the full original amount set forth in section 4-18-1 of this title for a new application. An applicant may appeal a decision to deny a business registration in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 4-1-10 of this chapter.
Whenever a business registration is not approved and the applicant has not commenced operation of the place of business sought to be registered, the registration fee paid in advance shall be refunded to the applicant by the director of finance.
E. Renewal: Applications for renewals of business registration shall be made in the same manner as described for new applications in this section. Applications for renewals must clearly state if any information has changed since the original application.
F. Transfer Of Registration: No business may assign, sell, loan, convey, or transfer its registration to any other person, even if such other person intends to conduct the same business at place of business. Such other person must apply and pay the fee for a new registration in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. M-19-13, 10-7-2013)